Get to know our new and recently promoted leaders at Levi Strauss & Co. through these Quick Qs. Here, meet Natalie MacLennan, our new CEO of Dockers®.
What did you do before joining LS&Co.?
I worked at the Boston Consulting Group as a strategy consultant, helping companies grow profitably across the consumer goods sector, including apparel. I actually worked on multiple projects with LS&Co. which is how I got to know the company and ended up in my first role at LS&Co., running corporate strategy in 2017. In 2019, I was asked to support a strategy project regarding Dockers® and by the time I finished that project — where we said we would “carve out” the brand and give it renewed focus — I knew I wanted to join the team to transform this amazing brand. I joined the Dockers® team in early 2020 right as the COVID-19 pandemic hit and worked across areas including global retail, ecommerce, licensing and strategy before stepping into the role of CEO this past spring.
What attracted you to LS&Co.?
I loved LS&Co.’s iconic brands and believed that there was so much growth potential to unlock across the portfolio. This was true when I joined the company and focused mostly on the Levi’s® brand and is certainly true today regarding Dockers®. I also really identified with the company values, and while working on projects here, I began to understand how deeply these values were embedded in the company — clearly not just words on a wall. Finally, as I got to know the leadership team and broader teams at LS&Co., I knew I’d enjoy working with the people here — and for the past six years, I really have.
What is your vision for your team/brand/department?
My vision is to continue on the journey we’ve been on the past three years: to reignite and transform the Dockers® brand into a California-based lifestyle brand that appeals to consumers — young and old — across the globe. This requires focus on brand equity building, especially with younger audiences, and driving both direct-to-consumer and international growth. We’ve made great strides but we’re still in the “early innings.” Dockers® was a revered $1 billion+ brand back in the ‘90s, and with the right brand building, products and commercial expansion, I have no doubt it can get there again, this time with a more diversified portfolio.
Where was your favorite vacation?
My two month honeymoon in East Africa — climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, going on Safari in the Serengeti and kitesurfing in Zanzibar.
List five things that make you happy.
- My family — my husband and two daughters (they’re seven and four)
- Singing in the car
- Ice cream
- Interesting travel
- Adventure sports
Learn more about Natalie’s vision for the Dockers brand® and the road ahead.
